Chicken thigh: the skin decides the fat, the evidence is about poultry

The idea that swapping red meat for chicken lowers cholesterol on its own was tested directly. A meta-analysis of 8 randomized trials in 406 people without chronic disease found LDL cholesterol fell 8.2 mg/dL on lean beef diets and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish diets, a difference that was not significant, with poultry and fish counted together. Nothing in that evidence is specific to the thigh. The part of the choice you control is the skin. Eight USDA samples of raw thigh with skin held 13.4 g of fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 7.9 g once the skin was removed, with protein near 17 to 19 g either way. Skinless thigh itself ranged from 6.3 to 9.9 g of fat across those samples, so any one figure is approximate. A medium grilled thigh is 2.8 oz (80 g) of edible meat in the US survey database.

Every statement here is tied to a source. The badge says what kind of evidence stands behind it: A is a meta-analysis or systematic review, E is the position of an expert body without its own analysis. How we verify →

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

USDA entry	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, cooked	176	24.6 g	8.63 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, thigh, raw	221	16.5 g	16.6 g	0.25 g	0 g
Chicken, thigh, cooked, roasted	179	24.8 g	8.15 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, thigh, cooked, stewed	195	25 g	9.79 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, with added solution, raw	110	19.1 g	3.69 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broiler, rotisserie, BBQ, thigh, meat and skin	226	22.5 g	15.1 g	0.12 g	0 g
Chicken, broiler, rotisserie, BBQ, thigh, meat only	193	24.1 g	10.7 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, braised	229	22.6 g	15.4 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, thigh, meat only, raw	121	19.7 g	4.12 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, rotisserie, original seasoning, thigh, meat and skin, cooked	233	22.9 g	15.7 g	0.02 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, rotisserie, original seasoning, thigh, meat only, cooked	196	24.1 g	11.1 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, fried, batter	277	21.6 g	16.5 g	9.08 g	0.3 g

All 24 USDA entries for chicken thigh (12 more)

USDA entry	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, fried, flour	262	26.8 g	15 g	3.18 g	0.1 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, roasted	232	23.3 g	14.7 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat and skin, cooked, stewed	232	23.3 g	14.7 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, cooked, fried	218	28.2 g	10.3 g	1.18 g	0 g
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, meat and skin, with added solution, cooked, braised	215	20.7 g	14.6 g	0.21 g	0 g
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, meat and skin, with added solution, cooked, roasted	214	23.5 g	13.8 g	0.09 g	0 g
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, meat and skin, with added solution, raw	197	16.6 g	14.6 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, meat only, with added solution, cooked, braised	164	23 g	7.96 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, dark meat, thigh, meat only, with added solution, cooked, roasted	164	24.2 g	7.73 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken, thigh, boneless, skinless, raw	149	18.6 g	7.92 g	0 g	— g
Chicken, thigh, meat and skin, raw	193	17.1 g	13.3 g	-0.17 g	— g
Chicken, thighs, frozen, breaded, reheated	334	18.7 g	22.4 g	14.2 g	0.1 g

These are the USDA entries that are chicken thigh, not foods made from it; they differ in cut, part, pack or preparation. Linked names have a page with the full profile and per-portion figures.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As eaten	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Chicken thigh, NS as to cooking method, skin eaten	226	22.5 g	15.1 g	0.12 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, NS as to cooking method, skin not eaten	193	24.1 g	10.7 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked or broiled, skin eaten, from fast food / restaurant	243	22.6 g	16.2 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked or broiled, skin eaten, from pre-cooked	226	22.5 g	15.1 g	0.12 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked or broiled, skin not eaten, from fast food / restaurant	192	24 g	9.89 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked or broiled, skin not eaten, from pre-cooked	193	24.1 g	10.7 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked, broiled, or roasted, skin eaten, from raw	231	23.1 g	14.6 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked, broiled, or roasted, skin not eaten, from raw	178	24.6 g	8.1 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, baked, coated, skin / coating eaten	240	21 g	15 g	3.98 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, baked, coated, skin / coating not eaten	192	24.1 g	9.91 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, prepared skinless, coating eaten, from raw	231	20.1 g	13.5 g	5.96 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating eaten, from fast food	294	16.3 g	19.7 g	13 g	0.3 g

All 29 (17 more)

As eaten	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Fiber
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating eaten, from pre-cooked	277	18.2 g	19 g	7.15 g	0.3 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating eaten, from raw	273	19 g	18.6 g	5.98 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating eaten, from restaurant	294	16.3 g	19.7 g	13 g	0.3 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating not eaten, from fast food	218	19.4 g	12.8 g	6.31 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating not eaten, from pre-cooked	192	24.1 g	9.91 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating not eaten, from raw	192	24.1 g	9.93 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, fried, coated, skin / coating not eaten, from restaurant	218	19.4 g	12.8 g	6.31 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, grilled with sauce, skin eaten	233	18.6 g	13.8 g	7.28 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, grilled with sauce, skin not eaten	191	19.8 g	8.56 g	7.28 g	0.2 g
Chicken thigh, grilled without sauce, skin eaten	243	22.6 g	16.3 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, grilled without sauce, skin not eaten	192	24.1 g	9.91 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, rotisserie, skin eaten	226	22.5 g	15.1 g	0.12 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, rotisserie, skin not eaten	193	24.1 g	10.7 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, sauteed, skin eaten	243	22.6 g	16.3 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, sauteed, skin not eaten	192	24.1 g	9.91 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, stewed, skin eaten	227	22.4 g	15.3 g	0 g	0 g
Chicken thigh, stewed, skin not eaten	175	24.4 g	8.56 g	0 g	0 g

USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS, release 2024-10-31): chicken thigh as it is prepared and served, from the recipes behind the national dietary survey, rather than a single laboratory sample.

How much is actually in it

Eight USDA Foundation samples show raw chicken thigh with skin at 13.4 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 7.9 g once the skin is removed, with protein near 17 to 19 g either way. — Chicken, thigh, meat and skin, raw and Chicken, thigh, boneless, skinless, raw, 8 analyzed samples each (n = 8 samples each) Evidence E source
With skin: fat 13.35 g (12.04 to 14.62), protein 17.1 g, cholesterol 95.5 mg, zinc 1.2 mg; skinless: fat 7.92 g (6.31 to 9.92), protein 18.6 g, cholesterol 91.7 mg, zinc 1.35 mg, iron 0.60 mg
The UK composition table puts casseroled thigh meat without skin at 180 calories, 25.6 g protein and 8.6 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 2.1 mg zinc. — CoFID 18-319 Chicken, thighs, casseroled, meat only, diced Evidence E source
180 calories, protein 25.6 g, fat 8.6 g, cholesterol 130 mg, iron 1.0 mg, zinc 2.1 mg, sodium 40 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) cooked
In a feeding study of 192 broiler hens, breast held less than 15 percent of the fatty acids found in thigh, and cooking the thigh lowered its total fatty acid content. — 192 female broiler chickens, 16 diets varying polyunsaturated fat and vitamin E, thigh and breast analyzed raw and cooked at 44 days (n = 192 birds) Evidence D source
Breast total fatty acids below 15% of thigh; raising dietary PUFA from 15 to 61 g/kg cut thigh fatty acids 17%; cooking reduced SFA, MUFA and PUFA in similar proportion

What a real portion looks like

In the US dietary survey database a medium grilled chicken thigh eaten with the skin weighs 2.8 oz (80 g), a small one 75 g and a large one 105 g. — Chicken thigh, grilled without sauce, skin eaten, FNDDS food code 24154010 Evidence E source
Small thigh 75 g, medium 80 g, large 105 g, 1 cup cooked diced 135 g, 1 oz cooked 28 g

What your body absorbs

In 11 men given a chicken sandwich labeled with stable zinc isotopes, true zinc absorption was 33.6 percent with white bread and 25.4 percent with whole wheat, a difference that was not significant. — 11 fasted adult men, chicken meat sandwich on white or whole wheat bread, 2 mg 67Zn label plus intravenous 70Zn (n = 11) Evidence B source
True zinc absorption 33.6% (white bread) vs 25.4% (whole wheat), not significant

What cooking and storage change

By the USDA retention table for roasted chicken, zinc stays at 100 percent and iron at 90 percent, while vitamin B12 drops to 65 percent and thiamin to 70 percent. — Poultry Products group (USDA code 5), CHICKEN,ROASTED, factors set on the group rather than on thigh by name Evidence E source
Zinc 100%, calcium and copper 95%, iron and riboflavin 90%, niacin, B6, phosphorus, potassium 80%, magnesium 75%, thiamin and choline 70%, B12 65%, folate 60% retained

What it does to your health

A meta-analysis of prospective cohorts linked white meat intake with a 13 percent lower risk of stroke, while red and processed meat were linked with higher risk. — prospective cohort studies up to October 2016: 7 studies with 254,742 participants for stroke incidence (n = 254742) Evidence C source
White meat RR 0.87 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.97) for total stroke incidence; red meat 1.11, processed 1.17

Safety, limits and interactions

When 300 home cooks prepared inoculated chicken thighs and a salad, 15 to 31 percent of the salad lettuce was contaminated, even among people who did not wash the chicken. — 300 adults who self-reported washing poultry (158 control, 142 given USDA messaging), observed cooking chicken thighs inoculated with non-pathogenic E. coli (n = 300) Evidence C source
93% of intervention vs 39% of control did not wash chicken; lettuce contaminated in 26-30% of washers and 15-31% of non-washers
Salmonella was found in samples from 8 of 14 butcher shops selling chicken breasts and thighs in one Algerian province, and 47 percent of isolates were multidrug resistant. — 70 retail chicken samples (40 breasts, 30 thighs) from 14 butcheries, Skikda, Algeria (n = 70 samples) Evidence C source
57.14% of butcheries contaminated, 19 isolates, Kentucky serotype predominant, 47.36% multidrug resistant
A systematic review of 30 studies found mercury in poultry meat and eggs above regulatory limits of 0.02 to 0.05 mg per kg in 12 of 17 countries, with eggs and liver measured most and thigh muscle barely at all. — 30 studies of mercury and methylmercury in poultry meat and eggs from 17 countries (n = 30 studies) Evidence C source
Levels above USDA, China NHC or Thailand limits (0.05, 0.05, 0.02 mg/kg) in 12 of 17 countries; eggs and liver most measured
USDA FSIS advises cooking poultry, including chicken thighs, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. — consumers cooking poultry, USA Evidence E source
165 °F for whole and ground poultry
USDA FSIS advises against washing raw chicken thighs before cooking, because bacteria in raw poultry juices can spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. — US consumers handling raw poultry at home Evidence E source
Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended; it spreads bacteria from poultry juices to other foods, utensils and surfaces

What people believe that the data does not support

Swapping beef for poultry or fish did not lower cholesterol further: across 8 randomized trials in 406 people, LDL fell 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish. — 8 RCTs, 406 subjects free of chronic disease, beef vs poultry and/or fish diets (n = 406) Evidence A source
LDL-C -8.2 +/- 4.2 vs -8.9 +/- 4.4 mg/dL (P = .905); total cholesterol -8.1 vs -6.2 (P = .630)
The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 review found no sufficient evidence that poultry protects against any chronic disease, and judged effects on heart disease, stroke and diabetes unlikely in either direction. — scoping review of systematic reviews plus a de novo meta-analysis of poultry intake and CVD and type 2 diabetes Evidence C source
No protective or harmful effect of poultry on CVD, stroke or T2D established

What is still unknown

For most chronic disease outcomes the evidence on meat, poultry included, is too limited to draw conclusions, and no human study in the corpus compares thigh with breast. — Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 scoping review of meat and chronic disease Evidence C source
Evidence too limited for most outcomes; thigh-specific human outcome studies absent from the corpus

The bottom line

For stroke, the data are observational. A meta-analysis of 7 cohort studies with 254,742 people linked white meat intake with a 13 percent lower risk of stroke (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.97), for white meat as a whole category, with thigh never separated out. That is an association. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 review found no sufficient evidence that poultry protects against any chronic disease and judged effects on heart disease, stroke and diabetes unlikely in either direction, from reviews it rated mostly of critically low quality. Cooked thigh looks richer in protein than raw. The UK table gives casseroled skinless thigh 25.6 g protein and 8.6 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the jump comes from water lost in cooking. By the USDA factors for roasted chicken as a group, zinc stays at 100 percent and iron at 90, while vitamin B12 falls to 65 percent and thiamin to 70. In a feeding study of 192 broiler hens, breast meat held less than 15 percent of the fatty acids found in thigh, and cooking lowered the thigh's total. In 11 men eating a chicken sandwich, true zinc absorption was 33.6 percent on white bread and 25.4 percent on whole wheat, a difference that was not significant, from chicken meat of an unnamed cut in a single 1992 meal test. The cautions are about handling and contamination. When 300 home cooks prepared chicken thighs carrying a harmless test strain of E. coli, 26 to 30 percent of the salad lettuce ended up contaminated among those who washed the chicken and 15 to 31 percent among those who did not. Skipping the wash alone did not keep the salad clean, and spread through hands and sinks did most of the work. In one Algerian province, 8 of 14 butcher shops selling breasts and thighs had Salmonella in their samples, and 47 percent of the isolates resisted several drugs, in a small survey that may not reflect other markets. USDA FSIS advises cooking poultry, thighs included, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer, and advises against washing raw thighs, because bacteria in raw poultry juices can spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. A review of 30 studies measured mercury in poultry meat and eggs from 17 countries, with eggs and liver measured most and thigh muscle barely at all, so it says nothing yet about a thigh on the plate. We have no card on what it would mean in pregnancy or for children. We found no study of chicken thigh in pregnancy, in children or in kidney disease, and no human study comparing thigh with breast.

Compared with other foods

Chicken breast vs chicken thigh — calories · which is healthier

All food comparisons

Related foods

Chicken: the iron it blocks, and the washing you skip

Sources

cthg-r5-01 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
Chicken, thigh, meat and skin, raw: Total lipid (fat) 13.35 G range 12.04-14.62 n=8; Protein 17.10625 G range 16.5125-17.80625; Cholesterol 95.5 MG range 91.7-98.1 n=8; Zinc, Zn 1.2 MG range 1.09-1.39 n=8. Chicken, thigh, boneless, skinless, raw: Total lipid (fat) 7.916 G range 6.31-9.92 n=8; Protein 18.6125 G range 17.4375-19.5; Cholesterol 91.66 MG range 84.79-97.8 n=8; Zinc, Zn 1.348 MG range 1.28-1.5 n=8; Iron, Fe 0.6018 MG range 0.551-0.689 n=8
USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, FDC 2727567 and thigh boneless skinless raw, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-02 · CoFID 2021, dataset
CoFID 18-319 Chicken, thighs, casseroled, meat only, diced: Energy (kcal) 180; Protein (g) 25.6; Fat (g) 8.6; Cholesterol (mg) 130.0; Iron (mg) 1.00; Zinc (mg) 2.1; Sodium (mg) 40
CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 18-319, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-03 · animal feeding trial
Total FA content of breast was less than 15% of the total FA content of thigh. ... Cooking of thigh meat led to a reduction in total FA content that affected SFA, MUFA, and PUFA in a similar proportion.
Poult Sci, 2004 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-06 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
Chicken thigh, grilled without sauce, skin eaten (FNDDS 24154010, fdc_id 2706039): 1 cup, cooked, diced 135 g; 1 small thigh 75 g; 1 medium thigh 80 g; 1 large thigh 105 g; 1 thigh, NS as to size 80 g; 1 oz, cooked 28 g
USDA FNDDS, FDC 2706039 (food code 24154010) · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-04 · randomized crossover trial
There was no significant difference in mean true Zn absorption from the white or wholemeal bread sandwich, 33.6 and 25.4% respectively.
Br J Nutr, 1992 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-05 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
USDA-RETN-R6:805 CHICKEN,ROASTED, group Poultry Products: folate_total_ug 60% retained, vitamin_b12_ug 65%, thiamin_mg 70%, choline_mg 70%, magnesium_mg 75%, niacin_mg 80%, vitamin_b6_mg 80%, iron_mg 90%, riboflavin_mg 90%, copper_mg 95%, zinc_mg 100%
USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Code 805 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-07 · meta-analysis of cohorts
The pooled relative risks (95% confidence intervals) for total, red, processed and white meat consumption and total stroke incidence were 1.18 (1.09-1.28), 1.11 (1.03-1.20), 1.17 (1.08-1.25), and 0.87 (0.78-0.97), respectively.
J Am Heart Assoc, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-08 · observational study
Among chicken washers, 26 and 30% of the lettuce from the prepared salad was contaminated for the control and treatment groups, respectively. For nonwashers, 31 and 15% of the lettuce was contaminated for the control and treatment groups, respectively.
J Food Prot, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-09 · cross-sectional survey
Of the 14 butcheries studied, samples from eight butcheries were contaminated with Salmonella (57.14%).
J Infect Dev Ctries, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-10 · systematic review
Levels above those permitted by regulatory organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), China's National Health Commission (NHC), and Thailand's Ministry of Public Health - set at 0.05, 0.05, and 0.02 mg.kg-1 respectively - were observed in 12 of the 17 countries, with the highest concentrations detected in chicken eggs from Colombia.
Biol Trace Elem Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
sf-fsis5-3 · agency advice
FSIS recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer...Cook ground poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
sf-poultrywash-chthigh-1 · agency advice
Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended because bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces.
Chicken from Farm to Table, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service · checked 2026-10-08
cthg-r5-11 · meta-analysis
Relative to the baseline diet, mean ± standard error changes (in mg/dL) after beef versus poultry/fish consumption, respectively, were -8.1 ± 2.8 vs. -6.2 ± 3.1 for total cholesterol (P = .630), -8.2 ± 4.2 vs. -8.9 ± 4.4 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .905), -2.3 ± 1.0 vs. -1.9 ± 0.8 for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .762), and -8.1 ± 3.6 vs. -12.9 ± 4.0 mg/dL for triacylglycerols (P = .367).
J Clin Lipidol, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-12 · scoping review
There was also no sufficient evidence to conclude on protective effect of poultry on any chronic diseases; effects on the risk of CVD, stroke, and T2D, to any direction, were regarded as unlikely.
Food Nutr Res, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
cthg-r5-13 · scoping review
Our findings indicate that the evidence is too limited for conclusions for most of the chronic disease outcomes.
Food Nutr Res, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29

Review. Reviewed on 2026-10-08 for evidence level, dose and population context, and claims a reader could misread. Bioma Learn has no human medical reviewer at this time, and we say so rather than invent one. Methodology. This is information, not medical advice.